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Speak Out: How Much Was Gas When You Started Driving?

The average gas price in Maryland is $3.39 per gallon.

When I was 17 years old, gasoline in New Jersey was 95 cents a gallon.

I could fill up my 1988 Chevy Beretta for about $15. Now that 15-gallon tank would cost over $45 to fill up for $3.39 per gallon, which currently is the average price of gasoline in Maryland.

According to AAA, gas prices continued their upward tick for the second straight week, following 11 consecutive weeks of declines, inching up 6 cents nationally since the beginning of July.

The $3.39 national average price for regular grade gasoline was up 3 cents for the week, yet down 15 cents from month-ago prices and down 26 cents from a year ago.  However, prices remain 72 cents lower than the record high of $4.11 set four years ago this week.

So we want to know how much gas was per gallon when you bought your first car or first got your driver's license.

Leave your answers in the comments below.

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Polly July 14, 2012 at 11:50 am
Seriously? Does everything have to become political? I don't think that was the intent of this question. But, go on B. Allen get your fill. Sheesh.
Rise and Shine July 14, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Polly...Gas prices are economically driven...therefore making it a political matter.
Rise and Shine July 14, 2012 at 12:50 pm
I had a 1982 Chevy Citation. Unfortunately I don't remember paying attention to the gas prices but I think I could fill up for under $20.
Sharon Cranford July 14, 2012 at 01:52 pm
Back in the day, I commuted to Trinity College in NE DC from my home in Kensington. There was a gas station at the corner of Military Road and Missouri Avenue where I could fill up for 28 cents/gallon. Now, I get my thrills by shopping at Giant and then going to Shell for my fill up. Yesterday, I paid $3.20/gallon at the Shell station in Montgomery Village with my Giant discount, saving 40 cents. One time I actually had enough discount points to shave $1.10/gallon off the price. Even the gas station attendant came out to see it.
B Allen July 14, 2012 at 02:02 pm
Frank, that is a given...Gas could be a lot less here if oil producing companies could extract from our territory instead of giving billions to Brazil to extract. We will never be back at the .25/ gal in the late 60's when i was working at a gas station over 30 hours a week as a 15yo. Would be nice to go back to the prices we were accustomed to over the years until about 4 to 6 yrs ago. Also to Polly, it is a political issue, especially when you have an idiot like OWEmalley who steals from the transportaion fund (our gas taxes) and moves it to the general fund to make MD look better, then raises our taxes to put the money back into the transportation fund. NOW that is political. @Piotr, your claims are false, look it up, the fed tax on a gal of gas is at it's highest right now. 18.4 cents to the feds and in Maryland right now 41.9 cents, but will be going up when all the new OWEmalley taxes hit. Not bad for something that produces NOTHING at all other than higher prices and more regulations. So it is political and will always be political.
B Allen July 14, 2012 at 02:07 pm
@Piotr, not a rant, all facts. It is funny, you thinking that you have all the answers, guess that is why you are a hasa been.
B Allen July 14, 2012 at 02:09 pm
yes, it really does become political when a question like this is brought up, to see prices go up becuase of taxes and regulations imposed. We (THE PEOPLE) pay for it...even you libbies.
B Allen July 14, 2012 at 02:11 pm
Good deal, Sharon. I use Weis discount also. Heck, I thought my last fill up, at .40, which was the most I had. $1.10 that is REALLY good.
Polly July 14, 2012 at 02:47 pm
B. Allen - I'm cool with you having an opinion I just think you need to be so rude and insulting.
Sharon - I usually get about $1.50 and $2.00 per gallon at Weis, but I give them to my son to use. I'm disabled and don't drive much and because he works he drives a lot more than me.
Rick July 14, 2012 at 02:54 pm
If I promise to vote for Romney, will you promise to improve your spelling, grammar, and sentence structure?
Gary Hayman July 14, 2012 at 03:29 pm
When I first started driving as a senior in high school, I could get gas at an off-brand station near Blair Rd. For 19 cents a gallon. When later stationed with the Air Force in Misawa, Japan, gas, on base, was 10 cents a gallon.
Those days are long gone -- but they were fun. Gary Hayman
B Allen July 14, 2012 at 03:32 pm
@Rick, it is what it is. If you vote for romney you should do it for obvious reasons, because he is the MOST qualified to be president, not the amature.
B Allen July 14, 2012 at 03:34 pm
Polly, not rude and insulting, just giving the facts. And it is nice of you to give your son the discounts...every little bit helps.
Michael Shapiro July 14, 2012 at 08:24 pm
Actually, your spelling, grammar, and sentence structure says quite a bit about your intelligence, education, and ability to make logical conclusions.
Michael Shapiro July 14, 2012 at 08:28 pm
I've got you beat by about 9 years. Subtract about a dime for each, when I began. Fortunately, I too have given up smoking, and also no longer have my third car, an Olds 442. It had a 25 gallon tank and got, maybe 8 miles/gallon.
Pat Blankenship July 14, 2012 at 08:32 pm
1963 about 25 cents a gallon. Age 16 Same price of a pack of cigarettes.
Quit smoking in 1965.
David Epstein July 14, 2012 at 08:39 pm
15.9 in mid 60s in Albuquerque; 19.9 in college in Rochester, NY
Steve Baldwin July 14, 2012 at 11:29 pm
Maybe 25 cents around 1960, but remember that as a college graduate my first job paid $5,200 per year. Inflation affects both incomes and prices, about equally overall. Gas prices are too low, and have been for years, to motivate people to drive more economically and/or shift to transit, not to mention the effect of excessive driving on global warming.
Steve Baldwin, Bethesda
Matt July 15, 2012 at 12:37 am
About $.50 a gallon
Bronco Ktty July 15, 2012 at 11:34 am
I was 16 years old when I started driving in California. Gas was 17 cents a gallon.
Kate Phelan July 15, 2012 at 01:17 pm
There was one station on the road between St Louis, MO and Alton, IL where gas was sometimes 0.12/gallon. Often, my friends and I would pool our money to get $2.00 worth of gas for an evening's fun. This was early 70s. And I am still using the steak knives they gave when you got a fill-up!
Can't resist - B, calling people names is not "giving the facts."
Jim Mercurio July 15, 2012 at 09:39 pm
Petroleum companies get large tax write-offs and other benefits. Does anynone know whether the amount of federal revenue foregone b/c of those tax breaks is offset by the federal retail gasoline taxes collected?
B Allen July 16, 2012 at 11:29 am
@Michael Shapiro, typical lib come back. Like I said, there will be someone out there showing their immaturity by commenting on my typos. Get over it.
B Allen July 16, 2012 at 11:44 am
@Frank, oh, I DO understand. Oh Yeah, the company that Soros hedge fund (ponzi scheme) owns millions of shares in. Would have been better to use that money to fund a pipeline in the US from Canada and help thousands of people to get back to work, instead of continuing to ship via rail on Warren Buffets' Burlington Northern. Another one that sounds fishy, just like all the other "deals and decisions" by this administration.
joe chiappa August 6, 2012 at 08:12 pm
joseph chiappa anyone remember the gas station price war in new jersey
along # 46 morris co. the stations were cutting prices every day at the end of about ?? 1958 to 60
ScoobyShooter August 7, 2012 at 12:43 am
Eric wins the prize for the best off the cuff comment.
ScoobyShooter August 7, 2012 at 12:57 am
RIT? Go tigers!
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Nancy Reynolds October 7, 2012 at 01:56 pm
Lost my place,
I remember the 2000 election, when gas prices was too low, so in 2001 the US refineries closed some of their refineries, they haven't been re-opened yet, they exported to OPEC(EIA) for refinery purpose, then send it back,to us,higher price for Americans, When I started driving I paid $.25 cents a gallon, last reasonable price was (receipt for this) in 2001 I Paid $.89 cents.
Nancy Reynolds October 7, 2012 at 02:31 pm
Romney :CNOOK/CNOOC/CHINA/IRAN
Beijing - China National Offshore Oil Corporation continues its quest to purchase oil companies with ties to the United States, announcing on Monday a bid to takeover Canadian oil company Nexan. In 2005 the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), China's third-largest oil company, Protection Act to assess potential economic and security risks. DThis raised even more national security concerns regarding CNOOK's bid to buy Unocal. Unocal eventually sold out to Chevron Corp. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ponders. What makes this situation a bit more interesting is the fact that Romney is an investor in CNOOC according to released tax returns. Romney’s blind trust first invested in CNOOC in October of 2009, 4 years after statements were made about the use of nuclear weapons against the United States, and 20 months after CNOOC entered into an agreement with Iran. Romney has said many times that he has no control over decisions correct." More about Mitt Romney, China, China National Offshore Oil Company, Cnooc, Iran Look up Romney/CNOOK/CNOOC/IRAN for info , If this entrigues your interest in Romneys interest in helping out Iran. Romney invested in Chinese company tied to IranChina National Offshore Oil Corporation continues its quest to purchase oil companies with ties to the United States, announcing on Monday a bid to takeover Canadian oil company Nexan.
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